1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable computer carry case assembly structured to securely hold and contain a portable laptop computer and various peripheral accessories therefor such as a portable printer and CD ROM drive, the carry case being structured to be substantially sturdy and impact resistant, will qualify as an airplane carry-on item, and be substantially easy to transport by a user, while also providing a facilitated means to transport other items such as files, a tote bag, or a briefcase.
2. Description of the Related Art
As computers become more and more essential to every day business practices, individuals, and especially those individuals who conduct a major portion of their business on the road, are utilizing laptop computers. Further, because of these "business on the go" practices, peripherals associated with the laptop computer are becoming more and more prevalent, thereby enabling users to print documents, send and receive faxes, and utilize additional, external data storage such as through a CD ROM drive. Accordingly, there is a need to provide users with a convenient, secure, and portable way to transport and utilize their portable computer systems including the laptop computer and the various peripheral devices.
Generally in the art, there are a number of differing styles and types of carry cases which are adapted for portable computer transport. These carry cases range from soft cases to rigid, padded, ultra protective type cases, usually designed to hold the portable computer until needed, at which point the user removes the computer from the carry case and sets it up in a work area. This, however, can be quite inconvenient.
Therefore, it would be substantially advantageous to provide a carry case which disposes the computer in a ready to use orientation while still in the case, thereby necessitating that a user merely open a top lid of the case, position the laptop screen, and turn on the power to provide a convenient work station.
Present in the art, are some carry cases which enable a computer to be used while still contained in the case. These carry cases, however, will usually require a complicated series of manipulations to expose the computer from its contained position within the carry case, or will not specifically be structured to position the computer in a specific, elevated, keyboard exposed position. Accordingly, such uses can become more burdensome rather than convenient because they encourage in-case use in a less than optimal configuration.
A further difficulty associated with conventionally used and implemented portable computer carry cases involves the ease with which the carry cases are transported. Specifically, as the number of documents and peripheral accessories which need to be with the personal computer increase, the carry case can become quite heavy to transport. Further, the use of a portable computer will not usually eliminate the need for an individual to carry a briefcase or a number of files, further burdening their load and making the computer more difficult to transport. As a result, some computer users turn to portable luggage carts onto which the carry case and various other items are secured for transport. These luggage carts, however, provide an additional article which must be stored or moved out of the way when using the computer, provide an additional carry-on item to be stowed in an aircraft, and can be quite unstable if the carry case is hastily and/or improperly secured thereto. Such instability will not only make transport more difficult, but will also make the carry case vulnerable to jolts and susceptible to falls from the tote which can potentially damage the computer itself and the carry case. The existence of these hazards, which are also present during luggage transport, can be evidenced by the different types of suitcases including tote means built in. These suitcases, nonetheless, would be ineffective for use in computer transport as they are not structured to securely maintain the computer in a compact, easily accessible, ready to use, orientation, and do not include the many necessary adaptations to provide for convenient and portable computer transport.
Accordingly, since the advent of portable computer use, there has been a long felt need to provide frequent laptop users with a convenient and effective carry case which is substantially secure so as to provide a protective shield for the computer and its accessories, and which maintains the computer in a stable orientation therein. Further, there is need for an assembly which maintains the computer and its peripheral items in a ready to use orientation, which will provide a user with a single, universal AC/DC power converter, and which is substantially easy to transport. The device of the present invention is structured specifically to address and solve these needs which remain present in the art.